Friend

Introduction:

Content/meaning: Speaker recalls the landscape of his childhood and his

lost friendship. He describes the changes of his childhood landscape (trees
they used to play under that has now been cut down) to symbolize the
fading memories/innocence and the loss of friendship.

Theme: --Memories of past

--Loss
Nostalgic recollection() of the childhood landscape: The barren,
stripped landscape is a symbolic of the loss of innocence and
imaginations.
Poem starts with addressing the readeropening question 'do you
remember'--conveys a sense of loss/ isolation.

Topic sentences:

Tuwhare vividly captures a sense of desperate loss through the

juxtaposition between the ruined present landscape and the abundant,
lush landscape of his childhood. The destruction of nature implies the
fading of his childhood and innocence.

Alliteration of 's'--'spear succumbs', evokes a softer, delicate sound,

contrasts with the later 'grey gull', which is a harsh and bitter sound.
---It also symbolizes that the harsh reality of adulthood has taken over the
beautiful, imaginative childhood landscape.

In the third stanza, Tuhware creates a sense of nostalgia through the

creation of a imaginative world of his youth, in which he contrasts the
images of poverty (reality of childhood) and wealth (imagination).

Italicrepresents his imaginations, speaker lapsing into his memories.

Juxtaposition: ' oyster-studded, finer, silver' vs. 'rusty can'---- wealth and
poverty;
fantasy and reality; childhood and adulthood.
It is reinforced by 'jewelled fantasies wore splendid rags'.

'oyster studded, finer and silver' convey an image of splendor and

decadence.
'rusty can'---creates the image of something ruined and old.

Tuwhare further creates a sense of separation and loss through his use
of punctuations (dashes) and implications of fragmentation.

'Allow me to mend the broken ends'--internal rhyme 'mend and end'

separated by 'broken', which emphasizes on the fragmented past
memories and the lost friendship.
'Leaves made whistle- now stamp'---creates a sense of unity, yet is
broken.